About Our Domes

When you ask people in the community what they think of as symbols of St. Mary's Regional Medical Center, they are very likely to answer "The Domes." These unique architectural elements are matching bookends on the portion of the building opened in 1902.

The dome crowned by a golden cross serves as the vaulted ceiling for the hospital's magnificent and intimate chapel. One of three special prayer spaces on campus, it provides a place of respite, refuge and prayer for patients and caregivers alike. The other two spaces are the Marcotte/d’Youville Chapel, where most of the system’s ritual and religious events take place and the Meditation Room just off the hospital's Emergency Department.

Surgical Dome

During the early years when we were referred to as St. Mary's Hospital, “the Sisters’ Hospital” and even the “French Hospital”, the Operating Room was located under the dome closest to Golder Street . Its height, and glass ceiling provided surgeons with access to unlimited light on clear days. When the weather was cloudy, or at night, brilliant electric light lit this crucial space. Given its location in the community, people throughout Lewiston could tell when surgery was taking place at night because the dome shone like a beacon against the dark sky.

This icon is our symbol of the memories and recognition offered by the domes in the community.